How to Play Cribbage
Description
An English classic with pegging, hand scoring, and a crib. Count to 31 during play, then score your hand and the crib. First to 121 wins.
Also known as: Crib
Objective
Be first to score 121 points, earned through card combinations during play and again when hands are counted.
Setup
Two players. Each gets six cards.
Everyone discards two cards into the crib — a bonus hand set aside for the dealer, scored later.
The non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer flips the starter card. If it's a Jack, the dealer scores two points immediately.
Rules
Starting with the non-dealer, players alternate playing one card at a time face up, keeping a running total that can never exceed 31.
Playing a card that brings the total to 15, or completes a pair, or extends a run of three or more in sequence, scores points immediately.
Can't play without going over 31? Say "go" — your opponent keeps playing until they can't either, then scores for taking the last card.
Once every card's been played, hands are scored in order: non-dealer's hand, then dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib — every hand is scored together with the starter card, checking for fifteens, pairs, runs, and flushes.
Winning
Points from pegging and hand-scoring add straight to your running total.
First player to reach 121 wins — you don't need to land exactly on it.